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Middle Westerschelde maps Middle Westerschelde around the main tidal-channel bends at an angler-useful scale, using the clipped official Rijkswaterstaat waterbody and gridded bathymetry rather than a modeled basin. The water tops out around 112 ft. The depth chart comes from Rijkswaterstaat bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Middle Westerschelde runs 25,805 acres with 40.6 miles of edge. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.8) — enough points and pockets to pattern. Roughly 16% of the water is 15 ft or less, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 12.1 mi, about 7.3 mi across. The nearest mapped water is Kanaal door Zuid-Beveland, 8 mi to the northeast.
Vis- en dieptekaart van Middle Westerschelde, Nederland: gemeten dieptelijnen (Rijkswaterstaat) tot 34 m, met visstekken voor haring, bot, geep. De dieptelijnen zijn berekend uit gemeten bodemhoogten van Rijkswaterstaat en het officiële lokale streefpeil (NAP). Gebruik de kaart als visgids, nooit voor navigatie.
The roster combines exact Westerschelde monitoring with habitat-compatible Dutch coastal records. Section assignment is spatial; the survey does not claim equal abundance in every child. The roster may combine exact-water monitoring with habitat-filtered official regional evidence; it does not imply that every species is equally abundant throughout the mapped section.
| Species | Evidence basis | Count / date |
|---|---|---|
| Haring (Atlantic Herring) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Bot (European Flounder) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Schol (European Plaice) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Tong (Common Sole) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Wijting (Whiting) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Zeebaars (European Seabass) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Kabeljauw (Atlantic Cod) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Geep (Garfish) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Diklipharder (Thick-lipped Grey Mullet) | coastal monitoring | — |
| Paling (European Eel) | coastal monitoring | — |
Official species-evidence source.
The spring pattern is a shallow one: atlantic herring in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 50 ft before dropping to 20 to 60 ft for winter. The spot to know is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone, a feeding flat in about 20 ft of water that rates good for atlantic herring in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a herring feather rig or a small silver jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Small herring feather rig, Micro jig rig |
| Summer | 15 to 50 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Herring feather rig, Small silver jig |
| Fall | 10 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small feather rig, Compact silver spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 60 ft | midday | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
When the water first warms, european flounder slide up into 5 to 25 ft. Summer is a 6 to 35 ft game here, winter a 15 to 50 ft one. Start at RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone. It's a feeding flat holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a bottom jig with spinner blade rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Small bucktail dragged on bottom |
| Summer | 6 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Bottom jig with spinner blade |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 15 to 50 ft | midday | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Small bottom jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: european plaice in 8 to 35 ft. As the season builds they drop to 6 to 40 ft, wintering in 25 to 80 ft. Top water on the chart: RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone, a feeding flat in the 20 ft range, prime in spring. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a light spooned bottom rig or a beaded trace gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 8 to 35 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Beaded flowing trace |
| Summer | 6 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Light spooned bottom rig, Beaded trace |
| Fall | 10 to 50 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Beaded bottom trace |
| Winter | 25 to 80 ft | midday | open water |
Spring common sole on Middle Westerschelde hold shallow, usually 6 to 30 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 30 ft in summer, 20 to 70 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone — feeding flat, 20 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in the evening. The summer box starts with a light rolling-lead rig.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 6 to 30 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Tiny bottom jig |
| Summer | 3 to 30 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (4 ft) | Light rolling-lead rig |
| Fall | 8 to 40 ft | dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (20 ft) | Compact bottom jig |
| Winter | 20 to 70 ft | night | open water |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: whiting in 15 to 55 ft. As the season builds they drop to 20 to 70 ft, wintering in 15 to 70 ft. Time it for early morning. Summer baits: a small vertical jig gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 15 to 55 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Two-hook feather rig |
| Summer | 20 to 70 ft | dawn | open water | Small vertical jig |
| Fall | 10 to 60 ft | dusk | open water | Small silver jig, Sparse feather rig |
| Winter | 15 to 70 ft | dusk | open water | Compact vertical jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: european seabass in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 2 to 30 ft before dropping to 10 to 55 ft for winter. The spot to know is RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone, a feeding flat in about 4 ft of water that rates good for european seabass in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a surface lure or a paddle-tail soft plastic gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (4 ft) | Paddle-tail soft plastic, Shallow minnow plug |
| Summer | 2 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone (4 ft) | Surface lure, Paddle-tail soft plastic |
| Fall | 4 to 40 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Slim metal lure, Minnow plug |
| Winter | 10 to 55 ft | midday | open water | Slow soft-plastic shad, Suspending minnow |
Middle Westerschelde also holds atlantic cod (28 to 112 ft in summer), garfish (2 to 20 ft in summer), thick-lipped grey mullet (1 to 18 ft in summer), european eel (6 to 28 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Structure-wise the chart holds 4 features, led in depth by RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone at roughly 42 ft.
Access data: Rijkswaterstaat Fairway Information Services. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Netherlands waters are set by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO — recreational saltwater fishing) — and special regulations can apply to Middle Westerschelde specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Netherlands fishing regulations →
Middle Westerschelde is about 112 ft (34 m) deep at its deepest point. The depth chart comes from Rijkswaterstaat bathymetric survey data, so the contours are survey-derived rather than computer-modeled.
Official coastal monitoring from Wageningen Marine Research — Westerschelde stow-net monitoring informs the atlantic herring, european flounder, european plaice, common sole, whiting, european seabass, atlantic cod, garfish, thick-lipped grey mullet, european eel roster for Middle Westerschelde. The mixed roster combines exact-water records where available with habitat-filtered regional evidence; not every species is documented at this exact water, and it is not a promise of equal abundance or a catch on a particular trip.
RWS bathymetry-derived fishing zone is the top-rated area: a feeding flat in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for european flounder in spring. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For atlantic herring, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Middle Westerschelde is regulated by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO — recreational saltwater fishing). Check the official Netherlands regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Kanaal door Zuid-Beveland 8 mi · Kanaal Gent Terneuzen 9 mi · Eastern Westerschelde 10 mi · Westerschelde Mouth 10 mi · Veerse Meer 13 mi · Eastern Oosterschelde 13 mi · Bathse Spuikanaal 14 mi · Antwerps kanaalpand 15 mi · Western Oosterschelde 16 mi · Zoommeer, Eendracht 17 mi · Zeeuws-Vlaanderen Coast 18 mi · Noord-Beveland Coast 19 mi
See how Middle Westerschelde stacks up: best atlantic herring lakes in Netherlands · best european flounder lakes in Netherlands · best garfish lakes in Netherlands · best european seabass lakes in Netherlands
Browse all Netherlands fishing maps. See every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: Rijkswaterstaat measured bed elevations and official target water levels, CC0. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.